There was an intriguing article in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday, now available online, which claims the Myspace generation is a myth.
The figures quoted from Synovate’s Planet Edge research are that 2/3s of UK 18-24-year-olds have never used Myspace, and across Europe 76% have never used it. 94% of British teens don’t use online dating, and 94% also claim that haven’t downloaded a ring tone for their mobile. It also mentions 31% prefer the radio to find new music, over the net, friends and MTV.
And, ironically for this blog, 89% have never blogged
It also points to greater involvement from the middle class and above, despite 87% of those surveyed having a computer at home.
However, although the survey isn’t publicly available, there’s one thing that surprises me as much as the claimed figures. The research was conducted by an online survey, of at least 400 people in 11 countries. If all those surveyed were in equal proportions, that’s less than 40 people per country. If it’s a 50/50 split between the UK and Europe, that’s still a tiny proportion of teenage internet users.
And why use a survey at all? Would tracking software not provide a more accurate portrait of what teens are up to? Myspace is no longer the cool place to hang out, and filling in an online survey hardly promotes honesty. It’s also not stated where this survey was made available.
UK teens might not have heard Myspace, but perhaps they use Bebo, Tagged, or one of the other popular European sites? Perhaps they’re using their mobile to surf the web, particularly if the computer is owned by parents, and in a living room. Are they using an Instant Messenger?
To be honest, the survey, in the publicly-reported form, raises more questions than it answers. Most enthusiastic social networkers have more than one profile on more than one site, so it’s obvious that user figures for sites can be inflated, but this survey seems to have shot off in the other direction.